Christmas puddings are traditionally made on the last Sunday before advent, traditionally known as ‘stir up Sunday’. This is when families would get together to make the mixture for their Christmas pudding, all taking turns to stir and make a wish for the year ahead. To find out more about the history of this rich pudding visit our guide. Then make your own modern classic by following our top tips.

A classic Christmas pudding is usually made with a mix of dried fruit, fresh citrus and mixed peel soaked in alcohol such as rum, ale or sherry, plus egg, breadcrumbs, treacle or dark brown sugar, flour, nuts, various festive spices and sometimes suet. Try Dominic Chapman’s classic version. There are lots of modern varieties which use lighter ingredients and creative spins, such as this citrus-infused recipe from Louise Robinson or Karen Burns-Booth’s chocolate version.

First grease your pudding basin with butter and put a circle of greaseproof paper in the bottom of the basin to stop your pudding from sticking. Spoon the mixture into the vessel so that it is packed in and level. Then you need to wrap your pudding to protect it as it steams. Follow this method to make sure your pudding is water tight:

Method
1 Take two squares of greaseproof paper and fold a pleat down the middle – this will allow for expansion.
2 Butter one side of the double paper layer, then cover the pudding with this buttered side down. 
3 Cover with a piece of foil, pressing it around the rim of the basin.
4 Tie string around the edges to secure the foil, but before you tie it loop a double length of longer string underneath. Tie the string around the rim of the basin, then tie the loop of string in tight knots on either side – this will provide a handle to lift the pudding out with once it is cooked. 

You can create a simple steamer using a pan at home. Use a small bowl or saucer as a makeshift trivet, putting it into the base of a large pan, which you can then place your pudding on. Pour in boiling water so it comes about halfway up the pudding basin - make sure it doesn’t touch the foil as this can flood your pud. Then bring the water to a very gentle simmer and cover for around 8 hours (or slightly less if you are storing rather than serving it immediately). 

Although small storebought Christmas puddings, and other sponge puddings, might be ok to microwave, larger homemade versions unfortunately aren’t suitable for this method of cooking. A larger, rich pudding of this kind needs quite a long time in the microwave and may not cook evenly, with the exterior becoming touch in the time it takes for the centre to be cooked through completely.

You can make your pud on stir up Sunday, or anytime up to 6 weeks before Christmas Day. The soaked fruit is usually left to steep overnight, or for up to a week. Then, once you have made and steamed the pud, leave it to fully cool, unwrap and re-wrap in fresh foil and baking parchment. Store the Christmas pudding somewhere dark and cool.

This kind of pudding is fine for freezing, just make sure that the pudding is fully cooled and wrap the basin in a layer of clingfilm and foil before putting in the freezer. And fully defrost your pudding for 24 hours before reheating.

To reheat your festive pudding, use the same steaming method you used to cook it originally, but for a shorter time. This will take 1-2 hours, until piping hot and cooked through.

Use alcohol such as brandy to flambe your pudding. Pour the alcohol into a metal, flameproof ladle. Heat it briefly over a candle to warm up the brandy – this will make it more likely to ignite. Tilt the ladle carefully so the flame touches the liquid and it catches fire, then pour the flaming brandy over your pudding and allow the flame to burn itself out before you serve.

Traditionally this is a pudding served with brandy cream or butter. Buy some in or make your own for an extra special touch. It is also great with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, whipped our pouring cream or warm custard.

Leftover Christmas pudding will last for up to 2 weeks if kept in the fridge. You can reheat slices in the microwave or fry in a little butter until piping hot, to enjoy with cream. But only reheat servings as you go, as you shouldn’t heat the pudding more than once. Leftover Christmas pud is also great stirred through ice cream, as Galton Blackiston does.